Apple May Upgrade One of Its Most Beloved Entry-Level iOS Devices

The company may be preparing something for budget-minded consumers.

Apple may be on the verge of updating the iPod Touch, the cheapest device it currently sells that’s capable of running the iOS operating system. The entry-level device uses a similar form factor to the iPhone but lacks the cellular connectivity of its more expensive sibling.

A Tuesday report from Mac Otakara claims that Apple may be about to launch a seventh-generation iPod Touch. Apple first launched the device in 2007, the same year as the original iPhone, but the company last updated the product in July 2015. The current model, available in six colors, costs $199 for 32GB of storage and $299 for 256GB, far cheaper than the $449 iPhone 7 and $399 iPad Mini 4, both of which are the cheapest versions of their respective products that Apple currently sells. That, alongside its small size and support for the latest iOS 12, make it ideal for uses like intensive sports.

The iPod Touch’s utility has diminished over time as its product line has diversified, with the iPad and Apple Watch covering many of its former use cases. Former CEO Steve Jobs described the product at its launch as “training wheels for the iPhone,” indicating how getting a broader section of the public acquainted with its touchscreen interface could encourage more people to consider the iPhone as an upgrade. Apple announced in 2013 that the company had sold over 100 million iPod Touches, but three years later the company announced it had sold over one billion iPhones.

That doesn’t mean the iPod Touch has grown useless. Avid Reddit fans praise the device as a thinner and lightweight alternative to the iPhone SE, Apple’s $299 4-inch smartphone that it stopped selling with the launch of the iPhone XS. Others note that, as the iPhone line has completely dropped the 3.5mm headphone jack and the Apple Watch only supports Bluetooth, the iPod touch serves as a convenient music player.